Compact



D. H. ZELL Nov. 22, 1938.

COMPACT Filed Dec. 14, 1937 INVENTOR. 0A V/D M Z EL L ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 22, 1938 David H. Zell,

Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December 14, 1937, Serial No. 179,686

3 Claims.

This invention relates to compacts and has for its primary object and purpose to provide a simply constructed article of this kind having a container for face powder provided with means for effectually sealing the container chamber and preventing the sifting of powder therefrom when the compact is closed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a compact embodying an outer case, and a powder container therein, said container and case having resiliently yieldable, frictional coacting parts, whereby the container will be securely held in assembled relation with the case without necessitating the use of other additional holding or securing means.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a powder container comprising a frame die-stamped from a single metal sheet to provide an inner channel along each side of the frame and a sealing strip of felt or other compressible material secured in said channel and against which the marginal edges of a cover hinged to the frame have air-tight sealing contact.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom wall for the container frame constructed to be forced into said frame into tight frictional engagement with its inner marginal walls. The parts of the container may thus first be easily assembled, and the face powder placed therein and the cover latched in closed position. This filled container is then inserted into the outer case, and the assembly completed without the use of special tools of any kind.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved compact, and in the form construction and relative arrangement of its several parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and subsequently incorporatedin the subjoined claims.

In the drawing I have disclosed one simple and practical embodiment of the invention and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a top plan view illustrating one embodiment of my new compact and showing the same open,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the outer case includes a rectangular body section 5 having upstanding marginal walls 6 and a cover section 1 hinged upon one of said marginal walls as at 8 and provided with the usual mirror 9. The powder container comprises a rectangular frame die-stamped from a metal sheet to provide 7 a continuous outer channel portion I 0 and a con- *5 tinuous inner channel portion H, said channels being separated by a common connecting wall l2. The outer downwardly extending flanges l3 of the channel Ill along two opposite sides of the frame are comparatively narrow, while the flanges l4 along the other sides of said frame are relatively wide. One of these flanges is offset between its upper and lower edges as at I4, to accommodate the hinge 8 connecting the cover 1 with the case body while the other of said flanges I4 is recessed or cut away to accommodate a suitable latch device l5 for said cover.

The inner upwardly extending walls of the inner channel ll of the container frame are rela tively short. Within this channel, a continuous strip of felt or other compressible packing material I6 is placed and the upper edges of the frame flanges then bent inwardly and clinched thereon as at H. The packing strip is thus permanently fixed within the frame channel and extends upwardly therefrom within a short distance from the top surface of the frame.

The top wall [8 of the container frame which connects the flanges M with the wall I2 is formed with a depressed or trough-like portion l9 between said wall l2 and one of the flanges l3 to accommodate the hinge 20 of a cover plate 2|. The marginal edge portions of this cover plate are offset as at 22,' from the plane of said plate, and when the cover is closed have tight contacting engagement against the upper surface of the compressible packing strip I 6 while the inner body portion of the plate extends downwardly and in close contact with the inner side walls of said packing, as clearly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

The container frame is provided with a separate bottom plate 23. The marginal edge portions of this plate are angularly offset thereby forming the shoulders 24. These flanged edges of the bottom plate are adapted to contact with the bottom walls of the frame channel II, when said plate is forced under pressure into the lower side of the frame so that the angular shoulders 24 will have tight frictional contact with the inner walls of said frame channel. Thus a dust and air-tight closure for the lower side of the frame is provided.

The side of the container frame opposite to the hinge 20 carries a suitable latch device, indicated at 25, for the cover 2| whereby said cover will be securely held in its closed position and in air-tight contact upon the upper surface of the felt strip IE.

By means of my invention, as above described, it will be seen that the parts of the powder container may first be properly assembled in one department while the body and cover sections of the case are fabricated and assembled in another department. Therefore, the container may be packed with the face powder and its cover 2| tightly closed without handling the case itself. Then the packed container can be easily and quickly inserted within the body of the case. In

this operation the marginal wall 6 of the case body and the flanges l3 and H of the container frame will have a mutual resiliently yielding action so that when the container is in its final position as seen in Fig. 3, with the marginal edges of the bottom plate 23 contacting with the bottom wall of the case body said body walls and the container flanges will be in tight frictional contact with each other, precluding the accidental separation of the powder container from the case.

As these powder containers are produced from light sheet metal and are of very inexpensive construction, they may be carried in stock as refills. There are, of course, various different kinds of face powders, and a container with the selected powder may be readily inserted within the case by the retail merchant, since no special tools are required.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing the construction and several advantages of my present invention will be readily understood. Although the parts are of very simple construction and easily assembled it will be appreciated that the powder receiving compartment, when the cover 2! is closed, is tightly sealed by the provision of the packing strip I6 so that the powder cannot sift from said compartment outwardly beyond the edges of said cover. Also by constructing the bottom of the container as a separate element, the method of manufacture is simplified while at the same time an air-tight closure means is provided between this separate bottom plate and the marginal frame of the container. The construction as above described, has given excellent results in practice, and em ables such compacts or powder containers to be manufactured and sold at comparatively low cost.

While I have herein described one simple embodiment of my invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that the essential features thereof might also be incorporated in various other alternative structural forms, and I accordingly reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein which may be fairly comprehended within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a case body having marginal walls, a powder container comprising a frame of sheet metal bent to provide an outer downwardly opening channel portion and an inner upwardly opening channel portion, said frame adapted for insertion within the case body and the outer wall of said downwardly opening channel having resiliently yielding frictional bearing engagement with the corresponding upstanding walls of said case body to retain said frame in assembled relation therewith, a cover plate hinged upon one side of said frame and a packing strip of compressible material secured within the inner upwardly opening channel portion of said frame and with which the marginal edges of said cover plate have sealing contact when the cover is closed.

2. In combination with a case body having marginal upstanding walls, a powder container comprising a sheet metal frame having outer flanges for resilient frictional engagement with said case walls to retain the frame in assembled relation therewith, means at the inner side of said frame for securing a flexible strip of packing material in fixed relation thereto, a cover hinged to one side of said frame having flanged marginal edges for air-tight engagement upon said packing strip when the cover is closed, and a separate bottom plate for said frame having portions extending within the frame and frictionally coacting therewith to retain said frame and bottom plate in assembled relation.

3. A powder container for compacts comprising a rectangular sheet metal frame bent to provide an inner upwardly opening channel and an outer continuous downwardly opening channel having resiliently yieldable outer side walls adapted for frictional gripping engagement with the side walls of a case within which said frame is fitted, a separate bottom plate for said frame having portions extending within the frame and frictionally coacting with the inner walls of said upwardly opening channel to retain the bottom plate and frame in assembled relation, a strip of compressible packing material permanently fixed 

